There are six early literacy skills that your child must master in order to be a proficient reader.
Exposing your child to stories and books from birth on, is one sure way to set your child on the path toward literacy.
Our library storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers are designed to focus on the six early literacy skills. We even give you ideas for incorporating early literacy into your daily routine.
So join us for storytime, where you and your child will have fun together and learn valuable skills in the process!

Babies and Books 10:00 Friday Mornings
Toddler Time 10:30 and 11:00 Friday Mornings
Smart Start Storytime for Preschools and Daycare Programs 9:30 Wednesday Morning
Smart Start Storytime for Preschoolers 10:30 Wednesday Mornings

Oobleck, Slime and Dancing Spaghetti

Are you looking for a fun science experiment to share with your child? Check out Oobleck, Slime and Dancing Spaghetti by Jennifer Williams.

This creative book includes 20 science experiments for children preschool to 5th grade which are inspired by favorite children's books.

One of the 2nd grade experiments was inspired by the book Everybody Bakes Bread by Norah Dooley. During the experiment, children lock yeast & sugar in bags and measure the expansion to discover why dough rises. Included is an opportunity to take the experiment further, an oral history component and this great link to the Exploratorium's bread page.

Cowboys and Coffin Makers

I couldn't resist picking up Cowboys and Coffin Makers: One Hundred 19th Century Jobs You Might Have Feared or Fancied by Laurie Coulter up off of the new book shelf. The book begins with a time line of changes that took place in the 19th century to get the reader a little perspective on this portion of our history.

Some of the jobs in this book you may have heard of such as lighthouse keeper or explorer, but others may be new to you. Here are a few that I just learned about: jimmy duck, mule spinner, iron puddler, ship biscuit maker, and limner. Have you ever heard of these careers?

National Library Week 2010 Bookmark Contest

The ACPL is now accepting entries for the 2010 National Library Week Bookmark Contest.

Design a bookmark with the theme "Communities Thrive @ your library" on our bookmark template and enter it by Saturday, February 27th.

Winning entries in each category will be made into ACPL bookmarks and distributed during National Library Week, April 11 to 17, 2010.

February is Black History Month

Celebrate Black History Month with a good book! Here are a few that I highly recommend:

• Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
• Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
• Carver, a life in poems by Marilyn Nelson
  

The Bad Beginning

The first book in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, The Bad Beginning, is now available online for FREE. In fact, you can get it right here on this blog post by clicking "Browse Inside this book" above. Enjoy!

Redwoods by Jason Chin

One of my favorite new picture books is Redwoods by Jason Chin. In this book a young boy is magically transported from the city to the redwood forest to experience firsthand the majesty of these incredible, ancient trees.

The text of the book focuses on facts about the trees and never mentions the boy; his story is told only through the beautiful illustrations. Chin has created a perfect nonfiction book, one that allows readers to use their imaginations while absorbing the interesting information.

I just had the opportunity to see the redwoods in person and enjoy the wonderful smells of the forest. If you can't make a trip to California, pick up Jason Chin's book to experience the look and feel of the forest, the only part you will miss is the smell!